Three men received more than one decoration. 10 of the men who were decorated were officers, and the other 10 were NCO’s. Although there were obviously many more men than officers in the Army, being in position of responsibility clearly afforded many more opportunities for excelling in battle. Cynics might also suggest that officers and NCO’s were more likely to have their deeds noticed and reported favourably. Its noticeable that no medals were awarded to Privates who died during the war, only one Trooper in a Tank unit was mentioned in despatches.

2.97% of Portsmouth soldiers who died during the war won decorations. The split was equal between officers and men. This compares to 7.9% of Portsmouth sailors. Why the difference? Possibly because a higher proportion of sailors were Leading Rates and Petty Officers, who had more potential for leadership and decision-making in battle, whereas junior sailors were more often than not working as part of a finely-tuned machine. By comparison, the decorations awarded to soldiers were split 50/50. This is probably because the rank-and-file found themselves in at the sharp end, and often having to show initiative and bravery that would earn medals.

It could also be argued that in the Second World War – particularly towards 1944 and 1945 when manpower reserves were perilously low – the British Army sought to fight its battles in a way that did not cause excessive losses. It is possible that fighting in this manner gave less opportunities to win decorations.

Distinguished Service Order
Major Robert Easton MBE (Royal Armoured Corps, Italy)